How Many People Here Find Cutting To be an Exercise in Torture?

[52Energy]

I see all these threads created by people who talk about cutting on 2500 to 3000 calories, who describe cutting as a regular thing that's easily accomplished, I just don't get it


I have to eat around 1500-2K calories to have any chance at all of losing weight. It's an exercise in torture for me to even get below 20% bodyfat. I'm around 5'10 205 right now @ 17% BF and it was an absolute war for me to get even to this point - I was at 225 @ around 23% BF for a long while. I've never been leaner than around 15% BF. I've wanted to have a six pack forever and have just not been able to get there. I've experimented with every kind of diet imaginable and the only way I can lose weight at all is extreme calorie deficits


What sucks for me is that I have good bone structure/proportions/narrow waist. I just can't get lean to show it off. I work out VERY hard and eat a decent, high protein diet, get plenty of rest, not too much stress, etc...


What the hell is my problem? Do I just naturally have a ferocious appetite? I was a fat kid growing up BTW


Cutting can be so nasty for me that I have trouble sleeping. I have to jerk off intensely, then put on some relaxing music so I can go to bed because I just wanna eat so badly

[mavajo]

Sack up, kid. I'm 5' 8". I cut around 1,500.

If you're having trouble with hunger, 1) increase the proportion of protein in your diet, 2) avoid processed and high-carb foods, 3) try intermittent fasting, 4) try EC stack, 5) drink more water / 0-calorie drinks, 6) decrease/increase cardio (if you're doing lots of cardio currently, back it off - if you're doing none, try adding some; for some people, cardio suppresses hunger; for others, it increases it), 7) add more whole foods, etc.

If you're doing all that and still struggling, go back to my first suggestion - sack up. If being fit was easy, then everyone would be.

This was my calorie count during a recent week:

Monday - 614
Tuesday - 1,609
Wednesday - 1,353
Thursday - 1,501
Friday - 1,571
Saturday - 1,570
Sunday - 1,609

[52Energy]

Sack up, kid. I'm 5' 8". I cut below 1,500.

If you're having trouble with hunger, 1) increase the proportion of protein in your diet, 2) avoid processed and high-carb foods, 3) try intermittent fasting, 4) try EC stack, 5) drink more water / 0-calorie drinks, 6) decrease/increase cardio (if you're doing lots of cardio currently, back it off - if you're doing none, try adding some; for some people, cardio suppresses hunger; for others, it increases it), etc.

If you're doing all that and still struggling, go back to my first suggestion - sack up.

If being fit was easy, then everyone would be.

It just drives me crazy when so many people talk about cutting as an easy thing and to me it's about as easy as climbing mount everest

[mavajo]

It just drives me crazy when so many people talk about cutting as an easy thing and to me it's about as easy as climbing mount everest

When you ride a bike, do you consider it a complicated task that requires significant mental and physical concentration to perform? No. It's natural and easy. But there used to time where you couldn't do it and it seemed like a herculean task. Ditto walking.

Training and practice. Nothing is easy at the beginning.

[52Energy]

When you ride a bike, do you consider it a complicated task that requires significant mental and physical concentration to perform? No. It's natural and easy. But there used to time where you couldn't do it and it seemed like a herculean task. Ditto walking.

Training and practice. Nothing is easy at the beginning.

I learned how to ride a bike within a short time period


I've been trying to cut and giving it an intense effort for 5 years now

[Znik]

When you ride a bike, do you consider it a complicated task that requires significant mental and physical concentration to perform? No. It's natural and easy. But there used to time where you couldn't do it and it seemed like a herculean task. Ditto walking.

Training and practice. Nothing is easy at the beginning.

Exactly what he said.

These days I actually look forward to cutting, as it rocks to see the results of the last bulk , definition popping out etc. The hunger is just a minor nuisance that's easily ignored.

Until single digit bf at least, at the stage everything sucks and probably always will.

[mavajo]

I learned how to ride a bike within a short time period


I've been trying to cut and giving it an intense effort for 5 years now

There's two potential answers. Your knowledge is lacking and therefore you've been going about this poorly, or your willpower just completely sucks and you're never going to succeed until you sack up. Have you done all the things I suggested in my first post? Because if you haven't, then at this point you're just venting and moaning.

Not trying to be harsh, but we can't make you want to succeed and exert willpower. That's on you. I'll help people with the knowledge part of the equation; I have no interest in trying to motivate people though. That's on you.

[Eric1485]

I definitely understand what you are saying, it is difficult. But it just takes commitment and dedication to a healthy lifestyle, if it was easy then everyone would be walking around with 6-pack abs and looking lean but that's not the case. I have had success cutting in the past only to lose focus and put every pound back on, it's not a temporary fix. It kind of sucks but the guys replying are correct, it's a matter of willpower, discipline, and focus...how bad do you really want it? Do you want a great looking body or that piece of cake more? Only you can make that decision for yourself.

[Gneejack]

I find it best not to do a prolonged cut. The first 3 months are relatively easy, anything beyond that can be extremely difficult. So if you require a cut that takes a prolonged time, maybe take a break and eat at maintenance for a bit and continue when you're mentally ready again. I also find eating later in the day helps combat hunger. It's easier to endure hunger earlier in the day than it is at night time, so break your fast mid-afternoon or later if you're able.

[DougRarer]

Drinking something carbonated (0 calorie or near it of course) helps me out for making it between when I want to eat and to eat less. Same with eating something bitter like 90% coacoa chocolate (which also has other uses).

[k.r.e.a.m.]

I am guilty.....cutting or just dieting in gerneral sucks. Well it did until I started IF eating 2 weeks ago. 18/6 fasting/feeding window has been great at helping me control my appetite. My biggest problem was mid-day & late night snacking! But now my appetite is much easier to control......and I've dropped 8 LBS over since 12/1

[blowwzilla]

Post your Macros and diet.

[ChesterGillette]

I'm your height and 10 pounds heavier and cut on 1800. I too find it very, very difficult to cut but i think i've finally found a meal plan that works without wanting being hungry. My macros end up being 70g fat/200g/protein/100g carbs. I suggest you keep trying to switch things up with your diet until you find something that works. It can be a long, tedious process but just stay focused and continue going to the gym and you'll get where you want to be. It may not happen as fast as you want and you will probably hit a brick wall for a month or two or three but dedication and consistency is key.

[Maverick2015]

People who say it is easy have been doing it for a while. The cut, bulk, cut, bulk, rinse and repeat has become a routine in their life and it shouldn't be that hard at that point. The hard part is cutting in the first place. Even then, once you put your mind to it and make mini goals it is not so bad. I think that is one reason that weight lifting and cutting go so well together. It is all about pushing past the difficult and enjoying the rewards for doing so.

Some strategies that might work for you... 1) Take a day and eat maintenance on that day. 2) Cut slower by having a smaller calorie deficit. 3) Do 1900 one day and 2100 the next and keep alternating like this (or even 1800 and 2200, etc.) so that you maintain a 2000 calorie diet (or what ever numbers you like). 4) As mentioned above, drinking a lot of water or 0 calorie drinks helps. 5) Post your weekly progress to be accountable and get encouragement at the same time.

Definitely set mini goals along with your long term goal. This helps you accomplish things and helps you adjust up or down as needed.

You must be pretty buff if you are only 17% BF at your height and weight. Imagine what you will look like when you finish your cut!

[bf1906]

I see all these threads created by people who talk about cutting on 2500 to 3000 calories, who describe cutting as a regular thing that's easily accomplished, I just don't get it


I have to eat around 1500-2K calories to have any chance at all of losing weight. It's an exercise in torture for me to even get below 20% bodyfat. I'm around 5'10 205 right now @ 17% BF and it was an absolute war for me to get even to this point - I was at 225 @ around 23% BF for a long while. I've never been leaner than around 15% BF. I've wanted to have a six pack forever and have just not been able to get there. I've experimented with every kind of diet imaginable and the only way I can lose weight at all is extreme calorie deficits


What sucks for me is that I have good bone structure/proportions/narrow waist. I just can't get lean to show it off. I work out VERY hard and eat a decent, high protein diet, get plenty of rest, not too much stress, etc...


What the hell is my problem? Do I just naturally have a ferocious appetite? I was a fat kid growing up BTW


Cutting can be so nasty for me that I have trouble sleeping. I have to jerk off intensely, then put on some relaxing music so I can go to bed because I just wanna eat so badly

Do you give yourself weekly cheat days and when I say cheat day that means whatever you want. If you wanna stuff your face with doughnuts then do it. You just have to be fanatical about your diet the rest of the week. What kind of cardio routine are you doing? Also are you lifting heavy? Diet wise you have to do two things IMO. I cut on 1570 calories and I'm hungry a lot but it has not been torture at all. The key is finding low calorie foods that you actually like to eat and then getting all the junk food out of your house if it's too tempting. Lastly, you may have to just stretch your time frame out longer. Make cardio a regular part of your life, lift heavy, and be more gradual in your calorie reduction. It may take longer than 3 months, maybe even a year but eventually you might get to where you want to be.

[DyingAtheist]

Do you give yourself weekly cheat days and when I say cheat day that means whatever you want. If you wanna stuff your face with doughnuts then do it. You just have to be fanatical about your diet the rest of the week. What kind of cardio routine are you doing? Also are you lifting heavy? Diet wise you have to do two things IMO. I cut on 1570 calories and I'm hungry a lot but it has not been torture at all. The key is finding low calorie foods that you actually like to eat and then getting all the junk food out of your house if it's too tempting. Lastly, you may have to just stretch your time frame out longer. Make cardio a regular part of your life, lift heavy, and be more gradual in your calorie reduction. It may take longer than 3 months, maybe even a year but eventually you might get to where you want to be.

Incorporating a full-on cheat day is a fantastic way to royally **** up an entire's week of progress.

[Merial20]

Sack up, kid. I'm 5' 8". I cut around 1,500.

If you're having trouble with hunger, 1) increase the proportion of protein in your diet, 2) avoid processed and high-carb foods, 3) try intermittent fasting, 4) try EC stack, 5) drink more water / 0-calorie drinks, 6) decrease/increase cardio (if you're doing lots of cardio currently, back it off - if you're doing none, try adding some; for some people, cardio suppresses hunger; for others, it increases it), 7) add more whole foods, etc.

If you're doing all that and still struggling, go back to my first suggestion - sack up. If being fit was easy, then everyone would be.

This was my calorie count during a recent week:

Monday - 614
Tuesday - 1,609
Wednesday - 1,353
Thursday - 1,501
Friday - 1,571
Saturday - 1,570
Sunday - 1,609

Mav how far under maintenance are you eating? I'm holding steady at 16-1700 cals for 5 weeks now and fat is melting off. I'm tempted of throwing some really low cal days in there <1000 to speed up the process but I'm scared lol

[Groce]

yes, cutting sucks I HATE it

[iwelch001]

Its not as hard as your making it out to be. Im currently 5'10" 204lbs. Im cutting on 2100 calories a week. I started at 219 on Nov 1st. so in 6 weeks I have lost 15 lbs. I have a cheat MEAL once every 2 weeks. Dont have a full cheat day or you will ruin the entire weeks of your deficit.
I do the cheat meal once every 2 weeks so I have something to look forward to so I stick to my diet everyday. A good thing to eat with low calories when your feeling hungry is pickles. Something about them makes it like a treat to me.

Ive been doing all of this while working 65 hours a week and getting to the gym 3 or 4 times a week. i do strength training and 30 minutes of cardio at the end of my workout each time I go to the gym

[Maverick2015]

yes, cutting sucks I HATE it

I think most people hate it but not to the point of it being torture. I also think it makes a big difference if you are already pretty slim and you see the muscle start popping out. Whereas those of us with a belly are waiting for that visual to give the higher motivation. Counting calories seems to have gone out of style and replace with systems like points (calories counting in disguise), and fad diets like Atkins, etc. When it comes down to it, tracking a calorie deficit is the best way to lose weight because if you stick to it, it will always work. Luckily a lot of phone apps are brining this back and making it easier.

[ChesterGillette]

Incorporating a full-on cheat day is a fantastic way to royally **** up an entire's week of progress.

This is very true. I started cutting at 5'10 260. I lost 50lbs in 10 months being very strict during the week and using the weekend to eat whatever i wanted. I figured i could carry on like that forever, boy was i wrong. While that worked when i was 260, i hit a complete brick wall once i got to 210 and being lose with calories on the weeeknds is probably why. It took me 8 months to figure that out but better late than never. All that time wasted. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr..

[NitrogenWidget]

OP,

Go into cardio bunny mode.
Since you lack the will power to eat less you need to move more.

You aren't burning a significant amount of calories with weight training so you really can't count on that as a fat-loss aide.
It'll help you look better when you are lean so you still need to do it.

Daily cardio however can help you burn more cals.
Just hop on a treadmill once a day & watch a 40 min episode of something on netflix.

Cardio first thing in the morning before work isn't fun but it get's it out of the way and less chance of me skipping it in the evening.
I don't have to be so strict diet wise with daily cardio or if I am strict the fat flies off faster.

[Groce]

I think most people hate it but not to the point of it being torture. I also think it makes a big difference if you are already pretty slim and you see the muscle start popping out. Whereas those of us with a belly are waiting for that visual to give the higher motivation. Counting calories seems to have gone out of style and replace with systems like points (calories counting in disguise), and fad diets like Atkins, etc. When it comes down to it, tracking a calorie deficit is the best way to lose weight because if you stick to it, it will always work. Luckily a lot of phone apps are brining this back and making it easier.

for people with naturally large appetites it basically is torture, you're right though it's good seeing day to day changes when you're going from like 15 to 10%

[treefiddy1031]

Its not as hard as your making it out to be. Im currently 5'10" 204lbs. Im cutting on 2100 calories a week. I started at 219 on Nov 1st. so in 6 weeks I have lost 15 lbs. I have a cheat MEAL once every 2 weeks. Dont have a full cheat day or you will ruin the entire weeks of your deficit.
I do the cheat meal once every 2 weeks so I have something to look forward to so I stick to my diet everyday. A good thing to eat with low calories when your feeling hungry is pickles. Something about them makes it like a treat to me.

Ive been doing all of this while working 65 hours a week and getting to the gym 3 or 4 times a week. i do strength training and 30 minutes of cardio at the end of my workout each time I go to the gym

Your experience is not his experience. Frankly I think you're very lucky to be able to cut at 2100 calories and lose weight so quickly, it's definitely not something everyone can do. I'm an inch taller than you, and from experience if I ate 2100 calories a day I would gain significant weight.

[bf1906]

Incorporating a full-on cheat day is a fantastic way to royally **** up an entire's week of progress.

That's absolutely not true. If you do this once a week it will not do a lot of damage. Cheat days worked wonders for me and helped me break through a plateau.

[DougRarer]

Incorporating a full-on cheat day is a fantastic way to royally **** up an entire's week of progress.

I don't know about that one. From what I gather it takes 48 hours for the body to adapt to a new calorie level.

In the case of a cheat day it is adapted to the diet level and when the cheat day comes it doesn't know what to do with those extra calories so it more likely to be passed out as waste, turned into extra energy, and other forms of inefficiency.

In the case of intermittent fasting the body wonders where its calories went on the fasting days so it taps into fat reserves in order to make up the deficit.

Not even getting into hormonal implications.

Going over 24 hours and the body is more likely to adapt and start storing extra calories into fat.

Of course everyone personal experience may vary.

[bf1906]

This is very true. I started cutting at 5'10 260. I lost 50lbs in 10 months being very strict during the week and using the weekend to eat whatever i wanted. I figured i could carry on like that forever, boy was i wrong. While that worked when i was 260, i hit a complete brick wall once i got to 210 and being lose with calories on the weeeknds is probably why. It took me 8 months to figure that out but better late than never. All that time wasted. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr..

The key is cheat day, not cheat weekend. Also if your dieting right and your body is used to it you should be able to get away with eating a lot less calories the day after your cheat day as well.

[kureransu]

Because every wants to lose like 3-5llbs a week, YOU CAN take your time. Heck do an hour of lifting cardio a day and eat at maintenance and you'll lose weight. I think everyone goes extreme. and gets frustrated. that or they think theya re going extreme and are still eating way too much.

When i went from 330-230 in 2009, I didn't count a single calorie or macro. I lift 3-4 times a week. did cardio 2-3 times a week, and played tennis 2-3 times a week. 100lbs in 10 months. Didn't stress one bit.


These days I'm WAY more active then i was then, which i can actually cut around 2000-2500 cals in the spring/summer. Unfortunately i don't ever change that in late fall/winter, and i do a bulk so to speak lol.

[kureransu]

That's absolutely not true. If you do this once a week it will not do a lot of damage. Cheat days worked wonders for me and helped me break through a plateau.

depends on how big your daily deficit is and how ridiculous your cheat day is. if you're doing a 500 cal deficit and you cheat 2000 cals over, you lost 5 days of deficit. neting you a .33lb loss. And since you'll most likely be holding on to bloat and water from the cheat, you'll most likely be up.

[mavajo]

Mav how far under maintenance are you eating? I'm holding steady at 16-1700 cals for 5 weeks now and fat is melting off. I'm tempted of throwing some really low cal days in there <1000 to speed up the process but I'm scared lol

My observed maintenance is around 2,000-2,300, depending on the day (workout v. rest, etc.). My estimated sedentary TDEE per calculators is about 2,000-2,100. So when I remain compliant, I track a weekly deficit of about 4,900 calories, or roughly 1-1.5 lbs weekly.